Chapter 48

A slow smile spread across my face. I actually would've been surprised if she'd obeyed me. Surprised and disappointed.

With her eyes still on my cock, she scooted to the edge of the bed and reached for me, but I grabbed both of her hands before she could and sat down beside her, dragging her with me until she was lying across my lap. Ass up.

When she realized what was happening, she started to struggle, trying to get up, but I held her down with an arm behind her head and threw one of my legs over hers, trapping her and leaving my right hand free. I adjusted her a bit so her round ass was in perfect striking range.

"Luca, don't you dare!" Her voice was laced with panic.

"You should've opened your legs when I told you to." My palm landed on her ass with a sharp slap. To her credit, she didn't yell or scream, only stiffened with a sharp intake of breath. I immediately rubbed my palm over the area, soothing the sting as I watched the blood rise to the surface of her soft skin. Fuck, she had a perfect ass.

I lifted my hand and slapped her other cheek, then did the same again. I continued my punishment until her entire ass was an angry shade of pink and she was panting and cursing me. "You have a beautiful ass, Veda." I skimmed my palm over one cheek, then the other, feeling the heat rise from her skin. Then I dipped two fingers between her legs, sliding them into the silky heat between her folds. She was soaking wet.

Veda moaned aloud when I pushed one finger inside of her, then spread the silky moisture up to her clit and back, rimming her ass. She writhed on my lap, trying to both push back against my hand and get away, and I growled a warning low in my throat, my cock pulsing against her stomach with every hard beat of my heart.

I wanted this woman. No, I didn't just want to fuck her. I wanted to own her. Needed to own her. I wanted to lock her in my room where no one could take her from me, just so I could do this whenever I wanted to. I wanted to fuck her until she didn't have the energy to challenge me, then let her sleep until she woke up full of fire again.

Lifting my leg, I released hers. "Spread your legs for me, Veda." My voice was raspy, my breath coming fast and hard, as she slid her foot across the floor and opened for me.

Yes. This is what I wanted. What I needed. What she needed. If only to remember what it felt like to live.

I slapped her pussy and then her ass again. And again. Until she was squirming against me, teasing my cock with every strike. Then, and only then, did I give her what she wanted, sliding two fingers inside of her and pumping them in and out fast and hard a few times before finding her clit again. She made no sound when I touched her there, massaging the hard nub as I spread my palm over her until my thumb was at the entrance of her ass, her face shoved into the mattress.

Slowly, I pushed it inside of her. "I want to hear you come," I ordered. "Come for me, vita." My life. Veda shook her head violently even as her body convulsed as she came, so hard I had to press down with my other arm to keep her on my lap.

She was still shuddering when I slid my arms under her and moved her onto her stomach on the bed with her legs dangling over the side. Kneeling behind her, I spread her ass with my hands and put my mouth on her pussy, tasting her pleasure and urging her on.

"Luca..."

My name was both a curse and a prayer, and the best thing I'd ever heard come out of her mouth. I fucked her with my tongue, spreading her thighs wider so I could get to her clit, then replacing my tongue with my fingers, first in her cunt and then in her ass as she fought the things I made her feel. I had an overwhelming urge to be inside of her everywhere I could, until I was a part of her and she of me.

I knew she was only acting out of grief. She needed something to hang onto in this world, something to make her forget, even temporarily, and I was the only thing that happened to be available. I knew how ravaged she was on the inside. How it tore you up until you felt nothing at all. Until you were desperate to feel something besides the pain. I'd been willing to do anything to make it stop. Booze. Drugs. Sex. Fights. It made no difference to me. As long as I could feel something else for a while besides that soul-shattering loss.

Veda was using me right now. But the thing was, I didn't fucking care...

My heart pounded in my ears as a heavy weight settled in my chest.

Or, fuck. Maybe I did.

Goddammit.

Pressing my forehead against her sweet ass, I closed my eyes and let her scent fill my nose.

After a few seconds, she spoke. "Luca? What's wrong? Why are you stopping?"

I just shook my head. I didn't have an answer for her, because I had no fucking idea where this raw need had come from.

"Please don't stop," she whispered, her voice thick with tears. "Luca. Please.

Please." The last came out as nothing more than a high-pitched plea. "Pl...pl...pl…ease..."

As sobs once again wracked her body, I pulled on my pants, leaving them unbuttoned as I gathered the rest of my clothes and walked out of the room.